The present invention relates generally to network communications, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a system and method for selecting a network routing service to route audio communications.
IP Telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), is a technology that makes it possible to have a voice conversation over a dedicated IP network, such as the Internet, instead of a dedicated voice transmission line.
Depending on the service, one way to place a VOIP call is to employ specialized phones, sometimes called IP Phones, or VOIP phones, that may look like a normal phone. Such VOIP phones may connect to the network through an RJ-45 connector, or operate through a wireless connection.
Because VOIP make it possible to have voice conversations over IP networks, VOIP allows for a cost effective alternative to the traditional public switched telephone networks (PSTNs). Because of its relatively lower costs and ease of use, VOIP phone services have been rapidly increasing in popularity. With such an increase in popularity, there has been an increased desire to route VOIP calls in a cost effective manner yet maintain voice quality. It is also desired to integrate at least some of the VOIP features with a variety of other communication services.
VOIP calls can be routed over existing PSTN carrier networks via Internet service providers (ISPs). However, independent VOIP service providers generally do not have control over PSTN carrier traffic, costs, quality, and/or other factors. Consequently, many implementations of VOIP face problems dealing with latency and/or possible data integrity issues that are beyond control of an independent VOIP service provider. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.